Antique Iron Bed

Good evening friends.
Once again, I kindly request your help with this one as I have zero knowledge on this subject. I apologize in advance as I only have 1 picture of the bed until I pick it up tomorrow. The footboard is exactly the same as the headboard in design but not as tall. This is an iron bed that has lengthwise cracks that appears where perhaps a seam once was although there doesn't appear to be any welding like material. (One is very apparent in foot rail on attached picture). It also has brass on some areas of the headboard which also appears to be "cracking" off on the inner horizontal rails. I am interested in your thoughts as to how old this bed is and what you would do to clean it up. It is 48" wide and I believe 6'4" in length. I believe it at one time had casters as I felt holes in the legs? I also would love suggestions on how you would make it sleepable as it is wider than a twin and narrower than a full size mattress. It is very sturdy with original rails.

As always, thanks in advance for your insight.

 

Commonly referred to as 3/4 beds, and box springs and mattresses are available, you may have to special order and wait a while.

 

Wonder if that split iron crossbar once was covered in brass at one time.

 

Suspect many people would find that Mid-Century caned chair amusing. Very Doris Day.

Debora

 

Yeah, which is why old/antique beds don't do well in the market generally speaking. There are only 2 choices really, custom made bedding or resize the bed and in both cases, expensive. I know Leonards in Mass. does resize old beds for a living but i don't think they do it for metal, they might know someone that does though. Here is a link for their beds that have been re-sized, very nice work but, GET OUT YOUR POCKET BOOK!
https://www.leonardsantiques.com/our-beds/

 

Thanks James. They have some amazing things. My pocket book most likely will be buying casters to bring it up a little higher off the ground, I believe I have a 3/4 slat roll from another bed that may (?) work and see perhaps a foam mattress. I'm not looking to resell this one but keep it and love it for the beauty it once was.

 

That store is full of things like that.

 

120 cm * 190 cm is an old European bed. you even get mattresses on amarseon or in cheap retailers like IKEA.
look for a shop that is specialised in European beds .
in Italy that measure was a grand lit till the 50s.

 

Brad. I bet you are right on that. Two questions: 1) What causes the brass to crack off? 2) It has a tag dating it to appx 1850. Just curious if I'm overpaying. In its current needy yet beautiful (in the eye of the beholder) state, what would you think a reasonable asking price would be.

 

I doubt its 1850,more like 1880. Here in n. fla you'd be lucky to get $100 for it,mostly because of the mattress situation .If its solid brass,Id get it professionally polished (and sealed) if its plated,Id think about powder coating it in some color that fits your decor. Its a very nice bed.

 

Thanks for that feedback Johnny. Off to mystery search...I hope the day brings treasures to all.

 

Having had experience with this, getting a 3/4 mattress is not as big a deal as it might seem. Also, one can put a double mattress there, with a pair of full-size pillows, and it will look just fine. (I own a setup like that )

 

Agrees, or later.

 

I’m tall and do my own repairs, so extended the rails on a bed of this era so it would work with a queen size mattress. Sawed the rails in the middle, used pieces from a discarded rail, and drilled holes for bolts to keep it locked in. Did this 30 years ago and bed is still being used, solid as a rock. I can take a pic if you need one.

 

Hi,
They make extensions for old time beds. My in-laws father bought a bed room set in the late 1920s. It had a fancy high head board and a nice size foot board. I refinished the entire set and bought the expanding set and turned it into a queen size. It looks fine but it will expand to fit a a king. I think it was around 70 dollars.
I have the old side rails in the attic. I saved then since they were fancy heavy brass and wonderful wood with great graining.
greg

 

Don't think too many are solid brass. The antiques I've seen are all a very thin sheet of brass wrapped around steel tubes. These beds don't do well with a modern box spring which makes the mattress sit too high. They were designed for a box spring that drops belong the side rails.

 

For this particular bed, the room is small and I'm going to need to keep it true to existing size. That's a great idea and I appreciate you sharing.

 

Sounds like a beauty.

 

That sounds true to this one. The brass, what is left does appear to be cracking in about 1/8" or 1/4" sheets. Could you please explain a bit further as to what a box spring that drops belong the side rails would look like?
Thanks.

 

Most beds I have seen from that era didn't have box springs as we see them today, with matching mattress and box spring. You can get a box spring in that size, probably special order, but originally this bed would have had a metal slat spring or exposed coil spring under the mattress.